A woman who had a child after having a womb transplant has become best friends with the donor
Chelsea Jovanovich was 15 when she was told she would never be able to have a child due to the condition Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrown(MRKH).
MRKH is a condition in which a woman is born without a womb or vagina.
She told Insider: “It was sad, but it didn’t get really sad until I was old enough to start having babies and was in relationships where having babies was being brought up. That’s when it was really devastating for me.”
Chelsea and her husband, Jake began surrogacy in 2019 but it failed and so she applied to be put forward for Penn Medicine’s uterine transplant clinical trial.
The couple was accepted in late 2019 and moved to Philadelphia for the 15-hour surgery in February 2020.
The surgery was a success and after several IVF cycles, the couple got the amazing news they had waited – Chelsea was pregnant.
The donor, Cheryl Urban was also keen to be involved and signed up after seeing a segment on the news.
Cheryl said: “For it to have worked, and let alone have Chelsea involve me, was more than I could ever imagine.”
Chelsea said: “Her having children really hurt my heart a little like she was willing to risk her life to give me this organ, and she has little babies of her own at home.”
Due to legislation, the pair were not allowed to meet for a year after the surgery but as soon as they were given the go-ahead by social workers they began communicating.
Chelsea said: “There was no question in my mind that I was never going to meet her.
“I wanted to know her and I wanted to be a part of her life because she’s a big part of my life. She gave us a family.”
Chelsea is now a mother to three-month-old Telden, and she hopes to inspire others with fertility issues.
She said: “Maybe other women can see this when they’re struggling to even just go on the next day and know there is a possibility and miracles do really happen.”
Do you have MKRH? How did you become a mother? Or are you still trying? We’d love to hear your story, email mystory@ivfbabble.com.
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